Home Invasion
by Britedark
Summary: After the events of "Blizzard," Kagome anticipates some quiet time caring for her wounded hanyo. Instead, her home is invaded by someone planning to take over! Rated 'T' for violence.
1. Home Invasion

_**Disclaimer:** This story is based on "Inuyasha," copyrighted by Rumiko Takahashi. No infringement of copyright intended or implied._

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**Invasion**

As Inuyasha drifted back into sleep, Kagome smoothed his bangs across his very pale forehead, and stroked his cheek, feeling the warmth that had returned to his skin. Pulling down the heated blanket, she placed his hand back on the hilt of Tessaiga, smiling when his hand tightened of its own accord. Pulling the heated blanket closer to his chin, Kagome once again thanked Shippo in her thoughts, for his clever variation on his foxfire spells. Inuyasha had been so cold last night, by the time they got him to the hut, and his youki aura had been so low and ragged, that she had been terrified that the remnants of Miroku's purification spells would transform Inuyasha into human. Shippo hadn't had any ideas about what could be done for that, but he had thought of heating the blanket, and she had thought of keeping Tessaiga in contact with him—once she'd purified the last few youki off the scabbard that is.

Sighing, she rose to her feet. Stepping down from the platform and into her sandals, Kagome slid the outer door open just enough to take a peek. She shut it quickly. More snow had come down during the night, softening the tracks she had made yesterday. Hopefully, there would be no more trouble today, because she had no intention of stirring from Inuyasha's side unless there was an absolute catastrophe. She hoped that Kaede and the headman could handle anything that happened—and what could happen, on another snow day that would keep everyone inside except for the bare minimum of chores that required venturing outside?

Retreating to the area near the fire-pit, she added a couple more logs to the fire, eying with a sense of satisfaction the rather sizable stack of firewood that Inuyasha had brought in at the beginning of the storm. The fewer tasks to take her outside, the better. She checked the broth she had started earlier, pulling the pot a bit further from the fire, then decided to take another nap. Curling up on the floor next to the fire-pit with the other blankets and quilts, she wished that she could curl up against Inuyasha, under the spelled blanket. Unfortunately, the youki coming off the blanket made her skin feel like bugs were crawling over her, and so she had abandoned that attempt hours ago.

Oh, well. She sighed, pulled the covers over her head, and concentrated on thinking nothing.

… … …

The slamming of the shoji door woke her. Pulling the covers back, Kagome propped herself up on her elbow, and stared at the group of people standing in the entrance. For a moment, she thought that people had heard of Inuyasha's injuries, and had decided to come over to see how she was doing and bring gifts, as they had done when she had first arrived. Then, waking up a bit further, she took in the proportion of men to the single woman, and recognized the man in front. Keshin.

She tossed the blankets aside and scrambled to her feet. "What do you want?" she demanded in a low voice, moving swiftly to put herself between Inuyasha's prone form and the group. "And keep the noise down—Inuyasha's asleep."

"Too late," came the growl from behind her. She heard his grunt as he struggled to sit up. Kagome started to order him to stay down, and then thought the better of it. Instead, she fixed her glare on the men, and repeated her question.

Keshin smirked, dropped a cloth bag on the floor, and stepped up onto the main floor without removing his snow-covered, straw boots. "We're moving in," he announced. "Since Inuyasha refused to fix my hut last summer, and since the youkai I saw in the middle of my destroyed hut was apparently Inuyasha in disguise, I'm taking over his."

"Over my dead body," said Inuyasha, with a distinctly breathy snarl. Out of the corner of her eye, Kagome saw him come up alongside her, leaning on Tessaiga, and naked save for fundoshi and the thicket of bandages on his torso.

"That can be arranged," growled one of the men behind Keshin. Four ofuda-wrapped spears dropped down into attack positions, and Kagome blanched. She stepped in front of Inuyasha, wishing fiercely that she had mastered the ability to set barriers. Over half a year, and she still couldn't seem to find the knack!

"I'm sorry your hut was destroyed," she said tightly, "but that doesn't give you the right to invade our place. If you'd asked, I'm sure we'd have been willing to help shelter you, until your hut can be replaced."

"You think your stinking hanyo can destroy my hut and get away with it?" Keshin demanded, his face twisted in hate. "You think—"

"Your hut was only still standing because of the youkai who had invaded it and your family," interrupted Inuyasha, moving up alongside Kagome again. "If they hadn't, it probably would have collapsed under the snow. It's not my fault that you were too stingy to make a bargain with Miroku last summer, for me to fix it."

"What youkai?" asked Keshin. "You—"

"The youkai who possessed you, and tried to make you kill Miroku," interrupted Inuyasha again. "The youkai who possessed Mari, and made her attack me with her knife, and made Taro attack with his? Or haven't you bothered to wonder why Mari's clothes were covered the blood—my blood? Or what you were doing on top of Miroku?"

"I—"

Kagome saw the hesitation on the other men's faces, and decided to take a bit of a gamble. She raised her hands in the gesture that Kaede used to create her barriers, and invoked her own powers. "Has the headman agreed to this?" she demanded, looking not at Keshin, but the eldest of the other men. "And what does Kaede say? Inuyasha was trying to save Keshin and his family, and nearly died doing so. What gives you men the right to invade my place that Inuyasha built for me?"

"Uh, well…"

"Kaede and Hiroshi don't know a thing about this," stated Inuyasha, ears pinned to his head as he leaned forward, sniffing. "These guys have been drinking—probably why they dreamed up this hair-brained scheme! Too bad a walk in the snow didn't cool their brains down."

Every man's face went red, and three spears wavered. But, Keshin only stepped forward, his fury heightened. "So what, you dirty, stinking hanyo! A man deserves a little relaxation after getting his home destroyed, and his family almost killed! And you're responsible, you damned, dog-eared freak! You should have been run out of this village years ago, not allowed to stick around and contaminate a miko with your rutting ways!"

Kagome's own temper snapped. "How dare you!" she snarled. "I am not contaminated, and Inuyasha is not a freak!"

"Why shouldn't I?" the man retorted. "You came around prancing in those weird clothes three years ago, showing off everything a modest girl should be ashamed to show; you ran away after letting the village being almost destroyed, and then you came prancing back, and open your legs to this beast!" His spear swung towards her. "How many others have you been spreading your legs for, besides your 'dog-boy'?" he sneered, eyes glittering, taking a single step forward. "That married monk? That fox? Normal men not good enough for you?"

Youki flared. Fear flashed in the middle of her own rage, and Kagome knew she stood on the cusp of tragedy. Words flashed through her mind, too fast for mental recitation, and her power had already been gathered, begging for use. She snapped her hands apart, the wall she wanted—no, needed—taking the form from the words and her need. Bright blue coruscated from one side of the hut to the other, and Inuyasha slammed full tilt into it, even as Keshin staggered backwards as his spear hit and rebounded. Inuyasha yelped and went off balance and down to the floor, while Keshin staggered backwards, and had to be caught by his fellows. Spears clattered to the ground, and then, it was very silent.

Kagome tried not to tremble, her head already aching. She glared the at the invaders, trying not to hear Inuyasha's whispered curses, as he staggered to his feet. "You three," she said in the coldest voice she could muster. "Take Keshin out of here and to the headman, so he can make his complaint. Mari-san, you and the children should stay here, warm up and have a meal, until Hiroshi-sama and Kaede-sama determine the best place for you to stay."

The three men nodded jerkily. Keshin resisted, but two of the men grabbed his arms, while the third hastily gathered the spears. The woman looked scared and indecisive, but Kagome glared at her, and she didn't move.

The door slid shut behind the men. Kagome took what felt like the first breath in minutes and clapped her hands together, hoping that would release the spell. The barrier disappeared, and Kagome felt a great wave of weariness. Bracing her legs, she glanced at Inuyasha who was giving her a look of surprise and wary admiration.

"Get back under the covers, d—Inuyasha."

His expression shifted to stubbornness. "What if I don't want to?"

She gave him a smile. "You don't really want to entertain the children with a face-plant, do you?"

Ears flattened momentarily; he gave her a hurt look, then gave in. "All right, all right," he grumbled, turning around, leaning on Tessaiga again. "Just don't feed me any nasty teas, okay?"

"Sorry, husband," she said with forced cheerfulness. "Until that gut-wound heals, it's stinky lotions and nasty teas, as you very well know."

He groaned. Kagome forced herself to ignore him, turning her attention back to the woman who still looked scared. "Mari-san, please come on up to the fire—you and the children look half-frozen. Don't worry about Inuyasha; he barks and growls, but he would never harm you or the children."

She smiled: the woman finally sat down to remove her straw boots, and the children copied her. Kagome turned away to get more wood for the fire, and mentally groaned.

This was not how she had intended to spend her day!

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**Author's Note: **This was written for the prompt "Snow Day," for the "At First Tweak" LiveJournal community. (8/28/2012)


	2. The Guests

_**Disclaimer:** This story is based on "Inuyasha," copyrighted by Rumiko Takahashi. No infringement of copyright intended or implied._

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**The Guests**

Inuyasha opened his eyes as Kagome ran her fingers over his sweating forehead. "You still have a fever," she murmured in a voice so soft that he doubted any of the other humans in the hut could hear it. "I'm starting to get worried—you shouldn't be taking this long to start recovering."

"Keh—Miroku just needs to ease off on his weapon ofuda," he retorted, trying to keep his voice light. "He doesn't need to put to much in that even Sesshomaru would say 'ouch.'"

Her brown eyes warmed briefly. "I'll tell him you said so. Not that I'd want him to test your theory."

"He ain't that stupid."

"No, he's not." Her smile faded. "Are you sure you won't lie down? Even in the back room? You'd be warm enough, with the blanket."

Shaking his head very slightly, Inuyasha leaned his head back against the wall, tightening his grip on his sword and on the Shippo-magicked, warm blanket. His gut might still hurt like hell, but he wasn't about to leave Kagome alone with Keshin's family. They might only be a woman and her three children—one barely a toddler—but the air in the hut was so thick with their fear and their resentment, and in the boy's case, his hate, that he didn't dare leave her alone. His warm, trusting Kagome might not have noticed the covert looks, but he certainly had. And he didn't trust them. Not one little bit.

She sighed, and picked up a shallow bowl. "Here, drink this."

He sniffed. Kagome gave him a long-suffering look. "Broth, some herbs for the fever," she said. "Nothing else."

Inuyasha lowered his head, and allowed Kagome to give him the drink, grateful that she hadn't tried to continue the argument since this morning, when he had adamantly refused to accept anything for his pain, or to make him drowsy. It was part of how she had changed in the three years apart, he reflected as he leaned his head back against the wall again. She didn't try to insist on winning all of the arguments. She'd somehow learned to tell when he was willing to argue, and when he wasn't.

Another reason, why he loved his Kagome.

Kagome retreated back to her low table near fire pit, trying to smile at Mari who was nursing her youngest. The older woman glared at her. "Why haven't you started supper?" she demanded. "Reiko's going to wake up from her nap any time, and she'll need food. And there'd better be fish tonight—Taro's a growing boy, and he needs it!"

Keeping her annoyance at the whining, demanding tone, pushed down, Kagome put her medicine bow back on its shelf, and then reached for the large bowl she used for washing the rice. "I'm just starting it now, Mari-san," she said as she picked up the bowl. "Does Reiko-kun like pickled vegetables, or plums? I can open a crock, if she likes them and doesn't want to wait."

"She shouldn't have to wait! If you were a mother, you'd know that!"

Having no answer to that, Kagome turned towards the tall jar of rice, taking advantage of her position to briefly grimace. Mari's argument was specious: 'instant gratification' was an unknown concept in this time. And if the woman were so concerned about the timing of supper, she could have offered to help start it. Instead, she'd spent most of the day complaining, criticizing, and demanding that Kagome do this or that.

It was enough to make her regret inviting the family to stay.

Kagome scolded herself as she scooped out the rice, adding an extra cup over what she'd taken at noon. Mari-san couldn't be blamed for her reaction: it must have been horrifying to wake up and find herself covered with blood, and with her house gone. And Kagome was certain that she had would not have waded through the snow to this place without her husband insisting on it. The woman had a very trying time; and it had been Kagome's decision to ask her to stay, so she had no right to complain or show unhappiness.

If only Kaede or the headman would show up!

And why hadn't they? It was late afternoon! Surely, it couldn't take this long to make a decision! She would have at least expected Kaede to show up, if only on Shippo-back!

And, please, gods, let the headman find someone else to take in Mari and her children! Inuyasha needed them gone! He was fighting his pain, refusing to relax, his expression wary and his ears flattened for so long that they surely must be aching. Kagome desperately wanted to get him to lie down, get his wounds treated again, get her strongest pain and soporific medications down his throat so he could fall asleep and spend his energy healing, not tensed and prepared to attack. She still felt it was the right decision, to not force Mari and her children back out into the cold and snow, until they had a definite destination. But, why was it taking so long!

Inuyasha throttled down his anger as the woman criticized how Kagome was cutting up the dried fish. She only smiled and nodded, but he could smell Kagome's growing frustration. Stupid woman, he thought, reaching up to swipe his forehead and pull on one ear as anodyne for his growing headache. Kagome's generosity was an amazing thing, but why couldn't she have displayed just a bit more common sense and even hard-heartedness this morning? Why couldn't she have realized that she would need all her patience and generosity just to care for one cross-tempered, impatient, and hurting hanyo who wanted to be cosseted and comforted, instead of being forced to remain silent as a greedy, ungrateful woman took advantage of her?

He shivered, and pulled the blanket closer. Damn, he was cold! Though why he should be, when he had insisted on putting his fire rat back on, when the fire in both the fire pit and the fire-clay chiminea were built up higher than he thought was safe. It didn't make sense!

The stare was back.

The boy Taro was staring at him again. He had been doing it most of the day, looking away only when Inuyasha turned his head to look at him. It was a hateful stare; a patient stare. Inuyasha had tried his best to ignore it, mentally labeling it as meaningless threat. Taro was only a boy who'd lost his home, and who had watched his father make a fool of himself. Of course, the boy was angry and feeling hate. Inuyasha was used to people hating him: he could ignore a mere seven-year old.

Except, suddenly, he couldn't. The stare was suddenly on his nerves, and he'd had enough! He was tired of trying to ignore the interlopers, tired of trying to ignore their existence, tired of trying to pretend their unfriendly stares didn't make him tense and make his gut hurt more than it otherwise would.

"What the fuck do you want, boy?" he demanded, whipping his head around and meeting Taro's gaze. "You've been staring at me all day—don't think I don't know it!"

"Inuyasha!" Kagome, dismayed.

He ignored her, baring one fang as he glowered at the boy. Who, for some reason, was not looking away, and who had not even shifted out of his position of sitting with his arms wrapped around his legs.

"Well?"

Incredibly, the boy smirked. "Just waiting to see how long you take to die."

"What?" Kagome, again.

"Dad always puts poison on his youkai-hunting spears. Family secret." The boy's smile widened. "You're dead."

Inuyasha stared back, frozen for a moment in sheer disbelief.

Then, rage exploded. He tore the blanket away, jumping to his feet—

And crashed to hands and knees as his head spun and black dots danced in front of his eyes, and his belly spasmed with nausea. He vomited, and blood came up…

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**Author's Note:** This was written for the prompt "Fever" for the "At First Tweak" LiveJournal community. It was originally posted on May 20, 2012. It won the contest.

(9/12/2012) - I meant to get this uploaded a day or two after the first chapter, but real life in the form of a sick cat and hassles at work just drained my energy. It's somewhat better now, so I'm back to posting. The final chapter should go up Friday, 9/14.


	3. When Death Threatens

_**Disclaimer:** This story is based on "Inuyasha," copyrighted by Rumiko Takahashi. No infringement of copyright intended or implied._

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**When Death Threatens**

Kaede was finding her meditative metaphor of the willow less than adequate to the situation. She'd learned to sway and bend to the forces of fate; had grown her roots in this village deep and stubborn, and provided the healing of spirit and body that the villagers required, no matter how tiresome they sometimes became.

But, Keshin was driving her out of patience. The headman's son had interrupted her at her lunch, escorting her back to the headman's house, She had been required to listen to a rather incoherent rant against Inuyasha and Kagome, and a demand that they should be turned out and the hut should be given to him and his family. Hiroshi, the headman, had started to turn Keshin down flat, then backed down before Keshin and his friends' yelling, and insisted that he could not make that kind of decision without obtaining all the facts and listening to everyone involved. On that point, the headman became obdurate, but it was considerable time before the four men—especially Keshin—stopped yelling and arguing, and quieted enough to discuss the more immediate issue, of where the family should stay.

It was not her position to say so, but Kaede wished that Hiroshi had started with the decision to let the family stay at his house. Unfortunately, Hiroshi had, to her mind, been anxious to avoid that situation. Not that she blamed him, given his wife's hard pregnancy, a recently-moved-in, argumentative mother-in-law, and the fact that he had admitted once to Kaede that he found Keshin to be an 'idiot.'

Unfortunately, Keshin—or the family in question—were finding reasons why he could not share quarters. Shippo—who had been with her when she was summoned—was doing yeoman's work, shuttling messages and passengers back and forth. Many families were willing to take one or more of the children, or at least Mari and her youngest, but no one was willing to take the entire family. And Keshin was loudly and fervently refusing to consider letting his family be split up. At this rate, Hiroshi would not have an alternative...

The shoji to the inner set of rooms slid open, and gray-haired Yasuko stepped out. Bowing, she spoke formally, but with a clear edge of irritation. "Honored son-in-law, may I inquire how much longer this meeting will continue? Your wife and I are desirous of learning how many people we must prepare food, for the evening meal."

"Ah..." For a moment, Hiroshi looked discomfited, and Kaede did not sympathize with him. Most of the time, his patience, and slow, deliberate approach to problems worked, if only by wearing down the arguers. But, this was one time, when she wished that he could be more decisive, as his grandfather had been.

"Yeah, how long are we going to keep sitting here?" Shippo spoke up bluntly and impolitely, ignoring Kaede's whispered 'hush.' "I'm tired of carrying people back and forth, and Kaede was planning on visiting the two guys who got injured yesterday trying to save Keshin's butt! How long do we have to keep listening to Keshin whining because he can't get what he wants?"

"Shippo!" Kaede glared at the kitsune, angry over his interruption. He _knew_ better, after three years living in the human village.

Keshin lunged to his feet. "You bastard little youkai! You should be driven of the village like that damned hanyo protector of yours!"

"Enough, both of you!" Hiroshi raised his voice for the first time. Keshin whirled to face the headman. Shippo turned more slowly. "Shippo, you will apologize to Keshin-san and to myself for rudeness. Keshin, sit down, and be quiet."

Looking surprised, the man did so. Shippo turned to face Kaede and gave her a wink, before turning to face Keshin. He bowed three times quickly, then apologized in a sing-song voice. "This Shippo is very, very sorry to have said that Keshin is whining. That is an insult to dogs, and I do not like to insult dogs, because Inuyasha will bop my head." Kaede kept her eyes from rolling with an effort. Fortunately, his apology to the headman was quite respectful. Straightening, he added,

"Hiroshi-sama, may I please leave and go see how Inuyasha and Kagome are?"

The headman sighed and nodded. "Please give Kagome-sama my thanks for allowing Mari and her children to stay. Please tell Mari that Keshin will stay here tonight, and that I will make the final decision on where she and her family will stay in the morning." Shippo nodded, started to turn, then halted as Hiroshi raised a hand. "Will you also please tell Inuyasha-san that, if he feels up to it, in the morning, that I would appreciate his presence, so as to learn his version of what happened."

Shippo bobbed his head, turned, and bounced out of the room. When the door closed behind him, Keshin snorted. "Don't count on seeing that dog in the morning."

Kaede gave him a sharp looking, as something in the sneering voice sounded off. "Inuyasha was badly hurt," she said. "However, he recovers quickly."

"Not this time." Gloating was thick in his voice, thick enough that even Hiroshi heard it, and reacted.

"What is that supposed to mean, Keshin-san?" he asked, eyes narrowing.

"Oh, nothing. Nothing."

And he refused to say anything more.

... ... ...

"Inuyasha!"

Kagome had been adding the dried fish to the stew when Inuyasha had snarled at Taro, and had spoken up out of habit, unconcerned that Inuyasha would do worse than snap at the boy. However, the boy's declaration that he was waiting for Inuyasha to die grabbed her full attention. She scrambled to her feet, the last few pieces of fish falling into the fire, instead of the pot. Frozen in shock and disbelief, she could not react, until Inuyasha jumped to his feet with ears flat and his fangs bared in a snarl, and then promptly fell over, retching.

Ladle and cutting board fell from her hands. She rushed around the fire pit, and tripped over the child sitting up from her interrupted nap. Kagome went down as the girl yowled in pain and shock, as Mari cried out and the baby woke and yowled as well. Breath driven out and somewhat dazed from the crack her chin made with the floor, Kagome took precious seconds to recover. Heaving herself onto her elbows, she looked up, just in time to see Taro jump towards the helpless Inuyasha, a knife in his hands. He leaped onto the red-clad back—

"No!" Kagome screamed, horrified. "Don't!" She shoved herself up onto her hands and then knees, trying to clear her feet, unaware of anything but the impending tragedy—

The knife didn't go in. Astonishment spread over the boy's face, and he again tried to drive the knife home; to have it stopped by the fire-rat robe, which might not be impervious to a knife wreathed in youki and driven by a youkai-possessed boy. But, it was much less vulnerable to a normal boy and his blade, despite what might be smeared on the steel edges.

Kagome scrambled to her feet and ran towards the pair. She got there before Taro could think to shift targets, and pulled him off Inuyasha's back. "Stop that!" she shouted, grabbing his hand and pulling the knife free. "Inuyasha's not your enemy, he's not evil! He's a good man!" The knife went flying into the corner.

Taro glared at her, trying to twist free, and kicking at her shins. "He's a murdering youkai and you're his whore!" he yelled.

Beside her, Inuyasha let out a moan. With unexpected strength, Kagome threw the boy away from her, and then with a snap of thought, erected her barrier again, blazing blue, from one side of the room to the other.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome went to her knees beside her husband, ignoring the spreading pool of red. "Inuyasha!"

"Ka-go-me." His voice was thick and dull. "Can't ... see. Hurts. Everything. Hurts." His fingers twitched. "Tess-saiga. N-need Tess-saiga."

She frowned, ignoring the yelling on the other side of the barrier, and the pounding. "You don't need Tessaiga," she said, objecting. "My barrier is up; no one can get to you. Let's get you lying down, let me check your injuries." He couldn't be dying. He couldn't be poisoned. Her mind refused to accept the idea.

He resisted her tug. "Ka-go-me." His breath shuddered. "Need Tessaiga. Stop ... stop youkai."

Stop youkai?

_What youkai?_

It had been three and a half years since she had seen that side of Inuyasha: a side she had preferred not to think about. Moments, it took, for Kagome to realize that Inuyasha was not talking about some external foe, but his own youkai blood.

She blanched, both for the thought of Inuyasha turning youkai—and for the realization that _Inuyasha_ believed he was dying. And that, his own fear of dying, without Tessaiga to hand, would bring out that ravening, heinous beast that knew no bounds and no sanity.

Kagome glanced about for the blade, fighting fear, and horror. She saw it lying a few feet away, from where it had landed when Inuyasha had dropped it. She half-ran, half-skittered to it, heart starting to howl in despair. Inuyasha couldn't die! Not now! Not like this!

Her hand grasped Tessaiga's hilt. It was warm to her touch, welcoming, and Kagome remembered hope. Remembered the battle with Kanna's mirror warrior. Remembered how Tessaiga had controlled Inuyasha's youkai blood, bringing it to full physical manifestation, without the madness, without the mindless fury. She remembered how the youkai Inuyasha had healed from Goshinki's death-dealing blow.

She pulled the sword free from its sheath and spun back to Inuyasha. Going to her knees again, she forced the hilt of the rusty sword into one clawed hand, and then moved the other on top of the thin blade.

"Go youkai, Inuyasha," she said, placing her hands around his face and stared into those bloodshot, dazed, and sightless eyes. "You have Tessaiga. Trust it. Ask it to turn you youkai."

His skin was so hot, though she could feel his aura sinking, fading, save for a small, flickering, brilliant core. "No." His voice was a mutter. "Don't want ... change ... not ... ever..."

Hope shook against reviving fear. _Please change him, Tessaiga!_ Kagome silently begged the sword, feeling desperate. Inuyasha couldn't die, not like this, not after everything that had happened since her return! Please, Tessaiga! Please, please, please!

A shrill, high scream of terror broke through her silent pleading. Kagome snapped her head around, and saw Reiko backing away from the fire pit, as lurid flames rose outside the pit itself. And Kagome felt herself iced in horror and guilt, as she remembered the board falling from her fingers; realized that it must have fallen onto the side of the pit, bridging fire and the floor, and the fire had followed that bridge, and had caught on a blanket shoved in the chaos too close to the edge, providing ready fuel for the escaping flames—

Her fault. All her fault—

"Fools!"

Kagome found herself toppling over onto her butt. Catching herself with her hands, she stared as Inuyasha bounded forward, swinging a red Tessaiga, shattering the barrier. With a second bound, he was on the far side of the hut, grabbing the water barrel one-handed. Lifting it, balancing its weight against the back of his clenched sword, Inuyasha splashed water about, dousing the fire in the blanket and the pit. All the light on that side of the house vanished, save for the glow from Tessaiga. Inuyasha set the barrel back in its position, then swung around to look at Kagome, a snarky grin on his fanged, red-eyed, youkai face.

"I told you, that the fire was built too high."

Kagome smiled weakly. Taro and Reiko were staring at the armed hanyo, their bodies rigid with fear. Shaking, Mari crept forward to collect the wailing toddler, then scuttled backwards, child in her arms. Collecting herself, Kagome crawled to her feet, retrieved Tessaiga's sheath, and walked across the room to join her husband.

"Are you all right?" she asked softly, extending the scabbard.

Red eyes glanced at her as he took the scabbard, and sheathed Tessaiga. They closed, and Kagome felt the pulse, and then the sharp drop in his aura, as the youki plunged back to its normal range. The stripes faded, the fangs shrank, and his eyes opened to reveal their warm, golden depths. "Feeling great," he said cheerfully, swooping down for a quick kiss. Then, he flicked his gaze over at Mari, his ears flattening, and one corner of his mouth drawing back to reveal a shortened fang.

"You're a generous woman, Kagome, but I'm not sure Mari wants to stay the night with us," he said. "I mean, if it happened again, I might not realize it was only a boy playing at being a youkai killer."

Kagome leaned against him, too tired to protest.

... ... ...

They were finally alone.

Well, except for Shippo and Kaede.

Kaede was kneeling beside the fire pit, pouring hot water into a cup. Inuyasha sniffed, then wrinkled his nose. "I'm fine, old woman," he said. "I don't need any willow bark tea."

"I'm sure you don't, Inuyasha, but Kagome does. Learning to raise a barrier in the middle of a crisis is not how I recommend learning. Also, she has not yet learned how to separate her own energy from the barrier, once it is established, and when you broke her second barrier, some of that power backlashed through her. It's fortunate her headache is no worse than it is."

Inuyasha drooped his ears, surveyed the slumping figure across the fire, then hastily joined Kagome and set down beside her. Throwing an arm across her shoulders, he gently drew her closer. "Sorry 'bout the barrier," he murmured. "I wasn't thinking much: all I knew was I had to get to the other side, and that running into a miko barrier wasn't a good idea."

He heard her smile in her voice. "I'm surprised you were thinking at all, dog-boy," she said. "I wasn't sure if that was you, or Tessaiga, running things, for a little bit."

"Keh." Inuyasha snuggled a little bit closer, not really wanting to think about those moments, between the time he'd been huddling on the floor in a puddle of blood and stench, and finding himself fully healed and smirking, with Tessaiga bared and glowing. His memories for the between points were distinctly fuzzy—and he hated it, when his thoughts were fuzzy.

"So, you really did turn youkai again, like the battle against the Mirror monster?" asked Shippo.

Inuyasha gave him a withering glance. "Apparently," he said shortly. "So what were you up to, while all the excitement was going on?"

Shippo broke into a half-aggrieved story about his many trips to and from the headman's house. Inuyasha listened with less than half an ear, concentrating on Kagome, and thinking about the events after the fire was put out. Shippo had arrived while everyone was still frozen in reaction to the fire and his revival. Kagome had shaken off her daze, and gave Shippo a brief explanation before sending him back to the headman. He had returned with Hishiro himself riding on Shippo's back. As Kagome explained in detail what had happened that day, Shippo left again, returning with Kaede. Inuyasha, feeling defensive, and just a bit off-balance after his Tessaiga-induced transformation, had been more than happy to let Kagome do all the talking.

Unfortunately, when half a dozen men showed up (fortunately unarmed_), _Inuyasha had found himself at the center of attention, required by the headman to answer searching questions. Kagome's hand on his had helped him keep calm and focused, but he'd been relieved beyond words when Hiroshi had declared that Keshin's family would spend the night at his house, and that Kagome and Inuyasha should be left in peace to finish recovering. Two of the men had picked up the two girls, and the small mob had disappeared, leaving the hut filled with peace and quiet.

Well, almost.

He intercepted Kaede's reach, and gave the cup to Kagome. "You staying the night, old woman?" he asked.

Kaede sighed. "That's up to you, Inuyasha. Shippo can carry me back, if you want to be alone." She sighed again. "My fire undoubtedly went out hours ago."

"Feh. You might as well stay, old woman—the brat, too. We've room—and food."

Kaede smiled and nodded. Inuyasha sighed internally for the loss of privacy: was it only day or two, since he had anticipated a leisurely morning in bed, before Kagome told him to go play hero? Oh, well. Kagome clearly was on the verge of falling asleep, and wouldn't be up to having fun for a while, so he reckoned he could put up with the two of them.

At least, it didn't feel like an invasion.

* * *

**Author's Note: **And that's the end of this story, written in response to the prompt "Willow" for the "At First Tweak" LiveJournal community. (Said prompt explains the opening paragraph with Kaede.) It was originally posted July 15th, 2012, and won the contest.

And before you ask about a sequel, the answer is, probably, but I have no idea when inspiration will strike...

(9/14/2012)


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